Current Affairs

March 12, 2009

Thursday, March 12, 2009No one's ever said the wine industry doesn't throw great parties. And nobody throws better parties than the Champenoise. Especially when it comes to popping corks on old vintages.

Last weekend I poured a bit of wine for a couple hundred people at the new wine shop in Grass Valley. The event was fun and successful. But it was nothing like the fete put on for a small group of hand-picked wine experts on the other side of the pond.

Twenty ancient bottles spanning 178 years were brought out from the cellars at the boutique Champagne House Perrier-Jouët. There they were poured for a dozen of the world’s top wine and champagne experts (and arguably, 12 of the luckiest people in the trade) who'd been invited to taste 20 historic vintages.

World's Oldest Champagne (1825)The tasting included the oldest bottle of champagne in the world (according to Guinness) - the Perrier-Jouët Vintage 1825 (photo at left).

Each sip would have been worth hundreds of dollars at auction, according to the Head of the International Wine Department at Sotheby’s, Serena Sutcliffe MW, who co-hosted the tasting with Perrier-Jouët Chef de Cave, Hervé Deschamps.

“It is virtually impossible to assign a value to the 1825 vintage – we’ve never seen anything like it on the market! This was, quite simply, the opportunity of a lifetime tasting such exceptional, historic vintages.”

And if ever there was a party interested in seeing such a wine on the market, it would be Ms. Sutcliffe of Sotheby's. Or her counterpart at Christie's, though her work on this event means you'll ever raise a paddle on a bottle of P.J. at a Christie's auction.

Her presence also stakes the reputations of Sutcliffe and Sotheby's as to the authenticity of each bottle's provenance. Though such concerns are relatively small when the wine comes from the producer's own cellar, this would not be the first time for such shenanigans.

Most Expensive - 1874In addition to the world's oldest bottle of Champagne, the tasting also included the renowned “Perrier-Jouët 1874”, which earned fame long ago when it was became "the most expensive champagne in the world", a title it has held for 124 years, ever since it was sold at a world-famous auction in 1885. I can't tell you if it stilll holds that title today, as my research time is short. It would be amazing to learn the price paid in 1885 is still a record in today's currency.

The private tasting was a promotional event for the upcoming release of Perrier Jouet's first vintage Champagne from this century - the Perrier-Jouët Millesime 2002 (photo).

Even at the Grande Marquees, the majority of bottles produced are non-vintage -they carry no date on their labels because the wine is crafted to reflect the house style year after year. This consistency

is achieved only through blending, the Cellar Master's artful use of different varietals, vineyards and vintages of still wine that constitutes the final blend in the bottle before its secondary fermentation.

Vintage-dated champagnes such as the Millesime 2002 from Perrier-Jouët, are produced only in rare and exceptional vintages. And while I can only wish my reputation qualified me for such tastings, I'm pleased to see that even the likes of Perrier-Jouët take this occasion to pop the corks on old bottles from their cellar!

The Wines Tasted

1825 - "Liquid figs and mincepies, in other words, total addiction!"(Co-Host Serena Sutcliffe) "The intellectual high-spot, but in terms of quality the least interesting." (Richard Juhlin, Sweden)

1846 - NA

1858 - NA

1874 - "Shows there are still magical wines from this century!" (Richard Juhlin, Sweden)

February 26, 2009

Thursday, February 26th, 2009The wine industry gathered in Napa on Tuesday to share tips on how to sell more wine directly to wine-lovers. It was thought-provoking and worth the time and money. And today there are a hundred more wine marketers leveraging FaceBook and Twitter to attract the "Millennial Wine Lover".

One of the sponsors of this well-organized event was the venerable FedEx company, which has dedicated tons of resources to our industry. If you've ever ordered wine from me or any other online merchant, odds are good your package was delivered by FedEx. Along with UPS and Golden State Overnight, the three companies account for virtually 100% of the wine shipped directly to consumers.

So it was with great interest that I learned from a charming FedEx representative about an interesting and valuable test. She indicated FedEx has tapped a new technology that monitors the temperature of a package every few minutes as it travels from point A to point B, recording each update in a centralized computer. I presume the updates are sent via a wireless network, but I'm unclear on the communications technology.

Regardless of the inner workings, I was intrigued by the idea. My company has lost lots of potential profit on damaged wine, and since this is a thin-margin business I was very interested in whether the temperature monitor could tell me when to hold my wine for more weather-friendly days. I hoped FedEx would publish the results in real time, so our industry (and wine lovers) as a whole would know when it was safe to ship.

But the FedEx Rep believed the technology would prove it was safe to ship wine in all seasons, regardless of temperature. My skepticism was evident, apparently, as she asked if I was willing to bet dinner on the outcome. As I told her then...

...Yes I am!

But only if we can structure a meaningful test. I thought I'd open the discussion to those with a vested interest in its outcome - other retailers, wineries and the wine lovers we serve. I invite input to see if we can structure an unbiased test, and ask that you encourage FedEx to make the results public - preferably in real time. Here's what I suggest as a foundation.

To be tested - Can wine be shipped during periods of extreme temperatures without affecting the long-term life of the wine?

The test should be conducted using packages sent via regular ground service as well as 2-day and overnight air.

In each of these three service levels, both Styrofoam and recycled packaging materials should be tested.

Both the outside temperature and the package temperature should be reported. Ideally, a monitor would be set up inside a re-corked bottle to measure the actual temperature of the wine and not just the termperature surrounding the cardboard package.

We must agree on maximum and minimum temperatures at which the long-term life of the wine is affected.

The results of this test will impact millions of dollars worth of shipping, and even more in the value of wine being shipped. Let's give FedEx kudos for applying the technology and also encourage them to give transperancy to the real-time results via the internet and the wine blogosphere.

February 23, 2009

Monday, February 23, 2009A lot is being made of boxed wines lately. This is largely because wine lovers are seeking value in their every-day quaffs. Fortunately for the value-minded drinker, more drinkable wines are finding themselves inside boxes than just a few years ago.

Now I know that serving wine from a plastic spigot isn't glamorous. And no, I don't have a box of wine sitting in my refrigerator - call me a hypocrite if you must. But I'm neither offended by nor opposed to the idea as long as the wine is good. I'm not opposed to inexpensive wine, but life is too short to drink BAD wine, no matter what the price.

But I predict this will be the year the wine-buying public will embrace boxes for wines under $15/botle. We may not see the rush to value that was the $2 Chuck of 2002, but I think alternative packaging will be the fastest growing area in the wine business. I know I'll have those who challenge my contention - after all, boxed wines have been waiting their time in the spotlight since the 1980's. But I think now is the time to throw one's predictive hat into the ring for Boxed Wine acceptance. Here's why.

Why Boxed Wines Will Take Off- Not all boxed wine is Franzia. Thank God. Decent wines are beginning to find themselves inside boxes these days. As a rough guide to quality, plan to spend more than $20 for 3 Liters in order to get wines you can enjoy for the life of the package. Check out Black Box Wines, if curious.

- Boxed wines are already commonplace in Europe (see photo above, taken in a Loire Valley grocery store). Just as they are in South America. And Australia. And Canada. And virtually every wine-loving country except ours. So much for the American pioneer spirit, eh? Whoulda thunk WE'D be the traditionalists when it came to new wine ideas?

- Some of the newer packages are damned sexy (photos)

- Wine in a box is easier to carry to a picnic, and to smuggle into rock concerts.

Though the bag-in-a-box is not a good option for wines intended for cellaring, 95%+ of wines are intended to be consumed within 12-18 months. And since 90%+ of American wines are from the West Coast, and many wine drinkers are East Coasters, a large part of our industry's carbon footprint comes from schlepping. It seems increasingly clear that transporting heavy glass is a luxury we can no longer afford with inexpensive wines. Imagine the added burden on imported wines.

A standard wine bottle holds 750 milliliters and weighs just over 3 pounds when full. Trucking three pounds of anything from the West Coast to NYC creates over 5 pounds of carbon-dioxide emissions. Because a 3-liter box of wine replaces four glass bottles with less than a half pound of cardboard and Mylar, it generates about 80% less CO2 during its cross-country trek (www.aboutboxedwine.com).

Now, since 97% of wine on the market today is intended for consumption within 12 - 18 months, our nation could eliminate the emissions-equivalent of 400,000 vehicles (about two million tons of CO2) by packaging such wines in a box instead of glass bottles.

Tetra Paks?To help overcome consumer resistance to alternative packages, producers have adopted solutions that are less utilitarian than the Mylar bag inside a cardboard box, but which are more acceptable or attractive (see photo). Such packaging comes in a wide variety of sizes, offers an impressive canvas for graphic options and is far lighter than glass. But it still allows oxygen to contact the wine upon opening, and in that sense offers no benefits over its glass brethren.

The Glass Industry Strikes BackI've run out of space and research time today, but I'm very interested in recent news headlines about lighter-weight glass bottles. This new package might give alternatives a run for their money while offering a solution for wines to be cellared as well. A topic for a different day.

Quote of the Day:"What a decent boxed wine lacks in daily variety and prestige, it offsets with affordability and eco-friendliness. Over the coming decade I think it will become the standard package for wines under $15."

February 11, 2009

Wednesday, February 11, 2009It's a good word, paraskavedekatriaphobia. It refers to someone with a fear of Friday the 13th.

Even as a kid I had fun with the superstitions surrounding Friday the 13th. That's when I began to notice most of the unfortunate occurrences attributed to superstitions were normal events that simply stood out when one's mindset was predisposed for disaster.

This "pre-disposed mindset" was the subject of an amusing short story I recall from my youth. It featured a young Midwestern boy (much like myself, at the time) named Homer Price. In this particular short story, a snake oil salesman by the name of Professor Atmos P. H. Ear (a wonderful play on words) blew into town, and then just as quickly, left town, as is the wont of such salesmen. This particular charlatan was selling shakers filled with a lifetime supply of an odorless, weightless, tasteless and invisible flavor enhancer called "Ever-So-Much-More-So".

When sprinkled on a common doughnut, the fried ring was suddenly the BEST doughnut ever tasted. When added to a common cup of diner coffee, the bitter brew suddenly transformed into a transcendent morning eye-opener and mood-enhancer. Of course, the salesman was simply able to bring his customers to focus on what they were tasting, and in so doing, they re-appreciated the flavors they'd bome to take for granted. And in so doing, he also sold a lot of cans filled with air.

This story appealed to me because it's an amusing and well-told tale. But also because it helped me see the human foible - that everything tastes better when we pay attention to our food. You know where i'm going with this, I suspect. Sometimes we discover anew an old favorite, just by focusing on it at the expense of everything else. A partner, for example. Or our kids.

Or a good glass of wine.

One of the exercises I lead at the beginning of my wine classes might be called "Ever-so-much-more-so". It focuses our attention on each wine's unique aromas and flavors and it's always an eye-opening experience, if you'll allow me to mix my sensory metaphors to make a point.

Our noses and tongues were once critical to our survival - indicating which food sources were safe and which were deadly. Now that we buy food at a store, and most of it is safe (peanut butter aside!), we have less to worry about. So food scents and flavors have faded into the background noise of our busy lives, and we're content with rather bland, salted, sweetened, and processed foods that fit nicely into our hectic lives.

So on this Friday the 13th, I invite you to slow down and smell the wine. Enjoy a meal, perhaps following the old meditative practice of preparing a meal in silence, with no TV, radio, phones or conversation, paying attention only to the aromas and flavors of your ingredients. If it sounds weird, that's because it is, but you'll be amazed at the amplification that occurs in your senses.

This is a surprising wine that offers true Pinot pleasure at a fraction of the cost for most pinot noir hailing from Monterey county. This prestigious pedigree normally justifies a price two or three times this amount, and while this wine would have difficulty standing up to its big brothers in a blind taste test, it offers a lot of value for not a lot of coin.

I happily discovered the Torbreck wines over a year ago. An Australian producer that pulls fruit from all over the Barossa Valley, this particular wine is a blend of the classic Rhone varietals, with Grenache in the lead. The fruit comes from old vines, and I mean really old - some having celebrated their centenarian birthdays years ago - which lends a depth and intensity to this young, un-oaked wine. And no, the 2008 vintage is not a typo, but keep in mind the Southern Hemisphere harvests during our spring, so this wine is almost a year from its harvest so don't worry about bottle shock - it's been in bottle for many months now. Drinking very nicely right now!

Cima Collina, 2006 Pinot Noir, Tondre Grapefield Vineyard ($48)- This wine is at the other extreme from the affordable Tarrica, offering a truly transcendent wine made even more so with even the most feeble of attempts to shut out the world and focus on its aromas and flavors, which evolve and develop for as long as you can resist finishing the bottle. Not a wine for everyday drinking - at least, not for most of us - but a wine that makes a any celebration ever-so-much-more-so.

Any or all of these three wines will suffice as proof of the ever-so-much-more-so phenomenon, with flavors and aroomas that evolve over the course of an enjoyable evening. But if you decide to test the theory this Friday, I mean, just in case, don't do so while sitting under a ladder, or looking in a mirror, or with a black cat in the room, or with an umbrella open indoors, or the number 13 anywhere in view, or...

February 09, 2009

Monday, February 9th, 2009 - "Fighting vainly the old ennui" - as I write this I hear Jamie Cullum's voice singing that phrase from the Cole Porter song "I Get a Kick Out of You". And after two weeks of being bombarded by thousands of of pink-and-red heart-themed ads for everything from tires to premium membership at Marketing Profs, I find myself battling a Valentine's Day ennui. Which is not good for an online wine retailer. I should be jumping into the fray, unleashing my own barrage of cupid-born messages.

I'm still a big fan of celebrating love in all its various and sundry forms, as long as the celebration is sincere. But really, how many red-heart-infused ads can we see before the words "I love you" fail to conjure the sense of excitement that is their birthright?

So today's posting contains no heart images. No flying babies with bows and arrows. No doilies. No pink or red typeface. Just the news that West Coast customers who order by noon on Wednesday will still receive wine in time for weekend festivities, whatever you have planned.

And what better way to express your love for someone than through a languorous evening of great food, wine and conversation? In that spirit, I've copied here a recipe from my February shipment to club members. It compliments a wide range of red wines, and warms the coldest of hearts on a winter night.

Salt-Roasted Porterhouse

This recipe was inspired by Govind Armstrong at “Table 8” in Los Angeles. If you’re like me, you'll worry that smothering a steak in salt will yield tough, dry meat similar to beef jerky (or shoe leather, but then I repeat myself). Fortunately, nothing could be further from the truth. By forming a hard barrier, the salt seals the meat's juices inside. You then crack open the salt crust and discard it before carving - sort of a low-cost version of clay pot cooking that rewards the home chef with a moist and tender steak.

The spice rub takes a leaf from the playbook of our pulled pork recipe that was so popular last summer, producing another meal you’ll long remember. Add a great bottle of pinot and a loved one and this just may form a perfect winter memory.

ProcedureMix the first seven ingredients well. Transfer 2 Tbsp of the mixture to a spice grinder and grind well – to a fine powder, then mix in 1 tsp of the salt, keeping this ground mixture separate from the whole spice mixture. Rub the finely ground spice mixture all over the steaks, wrap in plastic and chill for at least 3 hours or up to 8 hours.

Preheat your oven to 475. Mix the remaining “whole” spice mixture with 1 ½ Cups kosher salt in a medium bowl. Add a scant ¼ Cup water and stir to moisten the spices. Unwrap the steaks and place them in a large roasting pan, then pack the salt-spice mix over the top and sides of each steak, leaving the bottom (pan-side) unsalted.

Roast for about 25 minutes or until the internal temperature registers 130 degrees. Remove from oven and place on a cutting board, cover loosely with a tent of foil and let sit for 8-10 minutes.

When ready to serve, crack open the salt crust and discard. Turn the steaks over (to the more tender, un-salted side) and slice into ½ inch thick slices.

December 17, 2008

Wednesday, December 17, 2008Just about the time I began complaining to my boss (a most unsympathetic SOB) about describing yet another wine, a news story reminded me of why I love my job - it has a noticeable lack of footwear-flipping foes. Those who disagree with my opinions may stop buying my wines, or selling me their wines, but such insults don't leave tread marks on my cheeks.

Googling the term Merry Shoe-mas provides some interesting hits. First, there are the folks over at OSOYOU, whatever that is, who have leveraged recent shoe news by offering a free pair of party shoes for each of the 12 days of Christmas. I should note they're giving one pair of free shoes per day, not one free pair per customer. Google also directs one to the Iraqi journalist, Mr Zaidi himself, whose shoe-tossing epithets may have evoked a certain amount of sympathy from U.S. voter in both parties (though I recommend venting one's Bush-related angst through the likes of the Sock and Awe game (click to play), which has proved so popular globally they have surely had to reinforce their load capacity since yesterday.) Wait, not yesterday. I mean Sunday.

Which brings me to today's real topic. Though it SEEMS like just yesterday that Mr Zaidi's flying shoes proved our lame duck POTUS still has good reflexes, it actually happened on SUNDAY. Yes, three days ago. Which means time is flying. Which means it would be wise to check your holiday to-do list.

Remember that holiday wine you've been meaning to order? Well, if the order is going to a CA address, the order need be in by end of day on Thursday, Dec 18th for delivery by the 24th. If it's going to an address outside CA, you'd be wise to order by Friday and opt for overnight delivery if it's to arrive before the 24th! Click here to order wine.

Too late to order? Relax. Our electronic gift certificates (Click Here to Order) are delivered via email or phone, so you can purchase them up until the 24th. Starting at $50, our certificates allow your recipient to select whatever wine they'd like, using your stored-value certificate to pay for wine or merchandise, sales tax and shipping.

And while their selected wine may not arrive in time for the holidays, the gift of wine comes with the suggestion of a nice meal shared with friends and family, and that's a gift we need all year long.

Today’s Quotes:"I did not own three thousand pairs of shoes. I owned one thousand and sixty."

~ Imelda Marcos (1929 - )

"These are my new shoes. They're good shoes. They won't make you rich like me, they won't make you rebound like me, they definitely won't make you handsome like me. They'll only make you have shoes like me. That's it"

P.S. I realize that the full word is Christmas, and that contemporary keepers of the faith find the shorter "X-mas" objectionable. But to commenters tempted to decry my heathen nature in a public forum, I refer you to ancient history, back to the days of Christian persecution, when the X served as the secret symbol of recognition amonst believers. Hence the abbreviation X-mas, which has remained in use all these many years hence.

November 11, 2008

Congratulations on your hard-won victory. Now the work begins, and in the weeks ahead you will be making some much-publicized appointments.

I know how things work in D.C. -- I make big donations to your campaign and you appoint me some cushy position in the new Administration. And I've done my part, donating more than double the amount of your average donor. And now it's payback time - I'm here with my hand out, humbly requesting that you honor your part of the deal.

An Ambassadorship to one of the world's wine growing countries would be nice. France or Italy would be our preference, though I imagine we could settle nicely in Spain or Germany or Austria as well.

Of course, you may already have candidates in mind for these posts, and I'm not sure how much political currency is in my account after a $200 donation and a few phone calls. So if I'm over-reaching, allow me to suggest a more humble position - that of White House Sommelier.

All kidding aside, I hope you agree that your new wine steward should build the white house cellar to showcase the diverse wines of our great nation. There are many exciting developments in the 6,000+ wineries found in our various American Viticultural Areas - from those on the West Coast to those on Long Island and everywhere in between (including over 70 wineries in your own Great State of Illinois.) The vast majority of these producers are small family-run affairs, with all the vagaries of agricultural uncertainty adding to the usual stresses and strains of the small business experience. Want to meet an American business hero? Look no further than the small winery owner.

The White House cellar should reflect the best efforts of these most venerable entrepreneurs. I urge you to select your Sommelier not only for his or her wine knowledge, but for his or her zealous enthusiasm and promotion of these American businesses at every state dinner.

Cheers!

Dave the Wine Merchant

P.S. Should you have difficulty in making your selection, I've taken the liberty of polling a few opinions - see what the blogosphere has to say... (can't see the survey? Link to it here.)

October 23, 2008

Thursday, October 23, 2008There is a wide range of people who enjoy wine. I've popped corks with delightful people with very different religions, races, socio-economic and political stripes. So I everything I can to keep my personal politics out of my business. But when my news readers deliver something like this to my desktop (Thank you Mr. Peare!), I simply can not resist.

This fascinating tidbit of wine news came from a most unlikely source (Fox News). They had come across a wine suffering a sales decline in San Francisco due to its unfortunate name - the Palin Syrah. The wine was not created as an homage to a certain hockey mom-come-Veep-candidate. It's not even pronounced the same way - Pay-LEEN, not PAY-len. But you can't tell that from the label.

In the complete article about this happenstance, Fox News shines their Fair and Balanced spot light on the fact that the wine is flying off the shelves in "the Republican stronghold of Texas", but suffering in the more liberal city of San Francisco.

The Fox article states "The wine was once a strong seller, but now it's an outcast in the City by the Bay because its name comes way too close to a certain governor from the state of Alaska", says Celine Guillou, co-owner of the Yield Wine Bar.

Given that today's polls a gap between the candidates that ranges from just 1% all the way to 10%, perhaps monitoring sales of the Palin Syrah is a more accurate barometer than hoards of statistical pollsters.

But I think it unwise and unfair to encourage such a thing. After all, some Chilean winegrower put a lot of time and effort into this wine, and Berkeley Imports is surely sitting on a goodly supply. Who are we to tie their success to the fortunes of one struggling party at election time?

Let's just enjoy the wine for what it is - an affordable and enjoyable wine to assist in your November 4th party, whether celebrating the victory or the defeat of this namesake candidate!

Get Amusing Musings sent to your desktop!

I find it less intrusive and time consuming to receive news via my Google or Yahoo desktops than email. Here's how to receive my latest "Amusing Musings" whenever they come out:

Open a new browser window and go to (or create) your MyYahoo! or iGoogle page

On MyYahoo!- Click on the green plus sign for "Add Content" (sample image at right is not live, by the way!)Look for the "Add RSS Feed" image towards the bottom of the resulting frame (see sample at right). Paste the url from above into the line and click the orange "I'm Done" button

On iGoogle- Click the "Add Stuff" button on the far right, then click the "Add feed or gadget" on the left frame. Copy the url into the text box and click "Add". That's it!

September 10, 2008

After seeing some of the resumes of our current candidates for our country's top office, I decided it was worth throwing my hat into the ring. At first, I thought it was just a fluke, but now, as you can see (below), it's picked up quite a lot of momentum! Click the video to view...

If I'm to have any hope of overcoming the political powerhouses, I'll need your support. Please send your checks to me directly, made out to "Dave the Wine Merchant for President". All those contributing more than $100 will recieve whatever wine is left over at our wine bar.

But seriuosly, aside from this impressive spoof from the minds behind paltalk.com, I could use your vote. It's just that, I could use your vote for my blog, and I could use it before November! Remember, vote daily!

August 25, 2008

Monday, August 25th, 2008About 8 years ago, I left the world of corporate marketing to pursue a life of wine. One of my early consulting gigs was with Bonny Doon Vineyard, the iconoclastic, rule-bending producer whose marketing mantra is "Don't be boring". It is the only client I've ever had where the prevailing paradigm included phrases like "if we don't get a few complaints from everything we do, we're not being creative enough!"

In early 2002, I started consulting on a six-week project that expanded into 2.5 years worth of activities. Working at "the Doon" is like going through boot camp. I still have friends from those days. And, though we have mostly scattered to the far corners of the wine world, we enjoy keeping in touch, swapping new wine discoveries and recipes, attending each other's weddings, and supporting new career moves.

So this news of the closing of the old Bonny Doon tasting room north of Santa Cruz marks the end of a chapter. It was a dilapidated facility, held together with personality and chewing gum. I'm not surprised it's closing, but will miss the idea of it, though it will always remain alive in my mind's eye. Here is the announcement from Randall Grahm, replicated here by permission. As usual, it is a good read, as one expects from the pen of the "President for Life":

Message from Randall Grahm

Pine Flat: An Appreciation and Reminiscence

(Visit our Bonny Doon Tasting Room Today! We're moving in November)

It's been a while since I've spent much time hanging out at the tasting room and old winery in Bonny Doon; the penultimate time was the night of the recent Martin Rd. fire, rummaging around by flashlight for precious, indispensible objects. There was plenty of wine at peril - well, we could always make more wine - but I observed so many artifacts, subtle reminders of all of the goofy schemes, initiatives hare-brained or brilliant that were undertaken at one point or another, the zillion D.E.W.N. art labels that John Locke had engineered. The Castanedan term "controlled folly" came to mind - though it was not clear how much control there ever was or ever would be. There were still reminders of tasting room staff who had been there forever. Kathleen Proffitt's cackle reposes in the DNA of the building.

I have lately been flooded with memories of the old winery and tasting room, and some are indelible. I remember when the winery building was originally built out to its current footprint - it was essentially a remodel of a remodel of an equipment rental shed. I don't remember precisely what month it was in 1984 - I'm thinking November, just after harvest, but it was a Sunday morning and I came in very early to check on something or other, only to find that the water heater shed was on fire. It was a dreamlike experience, reaching for a garden hose to try to douse the flames, but of course, the electricity was out and the pump didn't work and the fire sprinkler system was inoperative for some other reason - yes, I think that it was just due to be installed. So, I just watched the flames grow and grow until the Bonny Doon Fire Team arrived, rather in the nick of time, to put the blaze out. We rebuilt the winery, didn't lose too much wine and there was ample opportunity for some heavy toast humor - Charredonnay, Cabburnet, Côte-Rotie, etc.

I remember the dark day when a diversion valve - that which diverted the run-off from the crush pad into a storage tank rather than into a culvert which fed into Mill Creek - malfunctioned and we inadvertently dumped 100 gallons of spent wine from the distillery into aforesaid creek. The officer from Fish and Game was not very happy, but not as unhappy as I was.

There were some incredible moments. I remember when I first met André Ostertag, the brilliant winemaker from Alsace, who has subsequently become my friend. André had just flown in from Paris, apparently taken a bus from the airport to Santa Cruz, another bus to Davenport and seemingly walked the balance of the way. (Maybe he hitch-hiked.) He was very tired and very sweaty. This had to have been 1985 or so, and André's command of the English language was not yet perfect. "It's such a great pleasure to meet you, André," I said. "Thank you," he said, and in very halting English, "but if I may bother you, what I really need now is a douche."¹

Sammy Hagar came to visit one day ("Man, like I totally missed Davenport.")² and spent the afternoon tasting through everything in the house. We loaded up his Porsche with eight or nine cases of wine and Potstill Brandy and observed him depart into the twilight, his red taillights now just a flickering retinal after-image.

John Locke himself showed up at the doorstep of the tasting room one day, his red Honda Civic packed to the gills with Lockean impedimenta. He had driven cross-country from Washington, D.C. - one imagines non-stop - to come and work at Bonny Doon, having learned about the winery at a shop in the East Coast. The thought of actually calling before showing up had just never occurred to him. "I'll work for free," he offered. "You're on," I said. Many illustrious Bonny Doon alumni - Ted Pearson, Rebecca Foulk and Anita Cabanilla come immediately to mind - began their wine career working in the tasting room.

Marco di Grazia brought his entourage of "Barolo Boys" to visit the winery in the late '80s. These were my heroes, the greatest winemakers of Piemonte - which is essentially equivalent to saying the greatest in the universe - and they were here, sitting on the deck of the tasting room, feasting on abalone, which we procured from the abalone farm down on the coast. Many of them had never left Italy to that point, i.e. had never had seen a redwood tree, and they were really digging the awe-inspiring beauty and peacefulness of this unique place that we have been so lucky to enjoy for so long.

I think mostly of the extraordinary people who have come to work at the tasting room - the charismatic managers, Sandy Mast and Katherine Stalmann, who were there for decades, and who had the keenest ability to ferret out talent and personality among the stellar people who had come to work in the tasting room over the years. I am not exaggerating at all when I report that I have been all over the world and virtually everywhere I go, someone, a stranger, will report to me that he or she has recently visited our tasting room and have been enormously impressed by the warmth and knowledgeability of the servers they have met there.

I cannot say how much I already miss the old place and what sweet memories of it will remain. Our new tasting room, which will be located at the winery in Westside Santa Cruz, has a different feel. Obviously no redwoods, no spectral apparitions suddenly appearing from out of the mist - Bonny Doon has always in fact been Brigadoon. But, the opportunity we have down at Ingalls Street is to really show our customers what we are doing - to delve deeper into an exposition of the wines, how they were made, how they work with food, for example. The new tasting room is under construction and despite the context of its gritty industrial neighborhood; it already shines like a precious stone. It is as magical as it is unexpected, and reflects the real depth of our commitment to producing great wine. I can promise you that you will be delighted... Stay Dooned! and I invite you to experience where a passion and lifelong quest for vins de terroir began more than 25 years ago in the bucolic hamlet of Bonny Doon.